Old East Forest Park fire station rejuvenated

May 12, 2016 | Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.com

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The former Sumner Avenue fire station was completely renovated and redeveloped into a mixed-use property with a first-floor office and a second-floor apartment.
Reminder Publications photo by Chris Maza

SPRINGFIELD – When contemplating the future of the former fire station on Sumner Avenue in East Forest Park, Roger Roberge said he saw a unique opportunity.

At a May 5 unveiling of the restoration of the building into a mixed-use residential-commercial property, the Springfield born and raised real estate developer said the space piqued his imagination.

“I had visions when I walked in here,” Roberge said. “I couldn’t seem to get it off my mind. I had many sleepless nights thinking about it, planning it and putting it all together. You can’t always explain why you fall in love with a building, but you do.”

Since purchasing the property from the city for roughly $50,000 in February 2015, Roberge and his team at RR & Company have been actively redeveloping the former fire house, which was built in 1925.

The completed product is a two-story building with a 2,000-square-foot second-floor apartment that will be available for rent June 1. The first story will hold an office space, which will act as the permanent base of operations for Roberge’s company.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno lauded Roberge for his ingenuity and willingness to devote his time and resources the city.

“Is this creative; is this cool; and is this eclectic?” Sarno asked. “We’re very appreciative of the continued belief in the investment in the city of Springfield.”

The project was nearly a total overhaul, which included complete rewiring and plumbing of the building, upgrades to the windows, doors, roof, and even the brickwork.

Roberge said throughout the process, maintaining the building’s original characteristics was paramount.

“It was pretty much the driving factor here,” he said. “We wanted to stay true to the building, the craftsmanship that was here when it was built, as well as the architectural details. We wanted to maintain the original character and charm.

In keeping with that theme, the building’s interior features brass and copper fittings throughout. The RR & Company team also conserved other original characteristics by re-installing the fire pole, maintaining the original toilet and shower stalls in the bathroom, while also repairing and restoring the original maple floors on the second floor.

“It was really a wonderful find when we pulled up the old carpeting and uncovered the flooring that was here,” Roberge said.

Between acquisition and restoration costs, the revamp of the building came with a price tag of approximately $300,000, a substantial financial investment in the East Forest Park neighborhood.

“The city has made a pretty big investment in the area and sometimes it takes investors to invest in the city as well and preserve the historical assets that are here,” Roberge said. “A building like this could never be replaced, so ultimately preserving it and maintaining it is a huge opportunity.”

Roberge also credited the city with being a strong partner in facilitating the project.

“Everyone has been very supportive – the city’s Office of Economic Development and the Planning Department, especially,” he said, “The East Forest Park Civic Association has given a lot of support, and even the neighbors have been very helpful looking after the property and looking out for us while we’re here.”

Kevin Kennedy, chief development officer for the city, said restoring old properties such as its decommissioned fire stations was vital to the city’s social and economic health. He explained before selling it, the city continued paying for heat and maintenance of the building for 12 years at a cost of $20,000 a year it.

“Besides all the values from a historical perspective, for buildings like this and vacant lots and those things, the city is a landlord of last resort,” he said. “There are maintenance costs that go along with any property, so to turn this, it makes sense.”

The city at one time owned four former fire stations. Three have been sold and the fourth in Indian Orchard is now for sale.

“Now these properties are back on the tax rolls. A lot of people pay attention to the big mega projects, like MGM, Union Station and those things, but the fact of the matter is we have to pay attention to these smaller deals that were costing us money and are important to the neighbors,” he said.

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